Dullah Hassan has been an important element in Atlanta International’s rise to powerhouse status in Class A boys’ soccer the last couple of years.

The senior right back and team captain helped lead the Eagles to the finals of the Class A state playoffs in 2012, and has played a big role in their climb to the No. 1 ranking in the eurosportscoreboard.com poll in that classification this season. He anchors a defense that has allowed only six goals in its first 15 games.

AIS coach Paul Forde said Hassan has been an important contributor with his leadership ability as captain as well as his strong performance on defense.

“He’s been so consistent,” Forde said. “He’s an old head on young shoulders. He’s great at captaining the team and his defensive skills are fantastic.”

In addition to his contributions to the high school varsity team, Hassan has taken time to help out with the younger players at AIS, according to Forde.

“He helped lead, last year, with our elementary school, Forde said. “He would give up time on Saturday and work as a referee for the elementary school games that we have locally here. So, he’s really passionate about soccer.”

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